Six European Nations Refuse to Face Russia at Next Year's World Championship

Six of the 16 teams in the men's ice hockey world championship have pledged to refuse games against Russia next year. The boycott now includes Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Norway, Latvia, and Denmark. These nations will still compete against other opponents at the tournament, but they will not share the ice with the Russian team.

The movement gained force this week following a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Last week, the court ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation to reinstate Russian teams. This decision ends an exclusion that began after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The first tournament affected is the world juniors championship, which starts next month in Canada.

Sweden, a 11-time world champion, announced its decision on Tuesday. Anders Larsson, head of the Swedish hockey federation, stated that the "Three Crowns will not play Russia in coming world championship tournaments." This marked a shift from Sweden's initial stance last week, when officials suggested a boycott was off the table after the court ruling. Norway announced its boycott shortly after Sweden, citing the safety of players and staff while the war in Ukraine continues.

The Czech Republic joined the boycott after holding a board meeting. Denmark and Latvia also confirmed they would not play against Russia. Latvia reiterated its longstanding position of avoiding games against both Russia and Belarus. Austria is currently evaluating whether to join the group, and Germany remains uncertain about hosting the men's championship due to security and cost concerns.

Corporate sponsors are applying pressure on the governing body. Nokian Tyres, a Finnish tire manufacturer, said it will drop its sponsorship if Russia participates. Tiina Frazer, a senior vice president at the company, said continuing the sponsorship under current circumstances would not align with the brand's values. AJ Products, a Swedish furniture maker and tournament sponsor since 1989, asked that its logo be hidden if Russia plays.

The dispute extends beyond the men's tournament. The Finnish city of Turku said it will not co-host next year's world juniors if Russia takes part. The Czech federation, which hosts the women's under-18 championship in January, is discussing with the government whether to deny entry to Russian players. Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico supported Russia's return, posting on social media that a gold medal loses value if teams do not have to beat Russian players.

The IIHF has not issued an immediate reaction to the growing boycott. USA Hockey and Hockey Canada have not responded to requests for comment. The women's world championship, starting this week in Denmark, proceeds without Russia as it is not covered by the recent court ruling.